Defeat

Delilah stood triumphant over Isa’s corpse, beaming. This girl, a considerably magical being, had been a problem from the start. Without her, Winfry would be hopeless. As for the sisters, they could think they were safe within the woods—but the Ghouls of LusciousLocks would capture them soon. “Bring them to me…” Delilah whispered into the wind. And all around her, moving as one, the Ghouls obeyed.

And then, from the depths of her mind, Delilah heard the voice. Are they in your control…

Delilah froze, her heart in her throat. “Almost. I—I have them surrounded.”

Do not disappoint. It is imperative that we align… tonight.

Delilah nodded, shivering. The Common Mind was always aware… always present in the mind of every AssMachenstani. But it seldom spoke directly to anyone… even among the highest ranking officials. “Yes. Yes,” Delilah stammered. “Tonight.”

The voice left her. Delilah wiped her nose and realized it was bleeding. Her skin had reverted to AssMachenstani red. Her smoke dress had transformed back to plain silk. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to shake the overwhelmingly heavy presence left behind by the voice of the Common Mind. He would not have to speak directly to her again. By tonight, she would have everyone in her grasp. She would see to it… personally.

And with that, she transformed into the Monolith and stormed, trumpeting, into the woods.

---

“We can’t stop,” said Felix, scrambling over the forest brush with the passed-out Winfry over his shoulders. After the quilaire seared itself into Winfry’s chest, Winfry screamed like a little girl for a full minute before blacking out.

Now they had all run for what seemed like miles, hoping against hope that Lithuania and Marco had had the good sense to not wait for them and returned to the Haven. Still, Latvia and Estonia knew better. Lithuania wouldn’t just leave them behind.

“You guys,” said Latvia, stopping short. “We can’t do this. Lithuania and Marco could be out there—”

“We must make it to the Haven first. You two must,” said Felix, sternly. “The beast is after you. Once you’re all safe, I can go out and search for Lithuania, but—” A blood-curdling howl from up above interrupted him. Winfry stirred. A split second later, Felix and Winfry collapsed to the floor as a being of white mist and light crashed upon them.

“FELIX!” Latvia and Estonia cried, dashing towards him. He seemed to be struggling with a powdery white cloud. Winfry had fallen to one side and was regaining consciousness, though the Ghoul showed no interest in him. It was after Felix.

Estonia and Latvia had no idea how to help Felix. The creature had an insubstantial body. It seemed to be suffocating Felix—springing sudden claws and fangs made of smoke—scratching him up, tearing at his flesh—then smothering him again as a cloud of thick white mist.

Estonia closed her eyes, focused on the Ghoul, and with a twirl of her quilaire, dispersed the being in a burst of powdery drops. “Did I kill it?”

“I think you exploded it,” Latvia said, dashing for Felix. “Felix, are you alright?”

Felix grunted. The longer he remained in LusciousLocks, the more apparent it became that his training, his abilities, and his weapons were useless against the supernatural. “I’m good,” he groaned. Latvia checked him over. He didn’t look good. He was pale—feverish, and several deep gashes lined his arms and face.

“Crap Estonia,” said Latvia. “He’s right. We can’t go after Lithuania. We need to get him to the Haven, now.”

“You’re not going out there al—”

“Shut up Felix! You’re hurt,” Latvia snapped. “Estonia, do you think you can…”

“Teleport us?” She was afraid of attempting a group teleport, in case she lost control and left someone stranded somewhere between here and there and God-knows-where. But she seemed to be improving, and the quilaire seemed to heighten both her power and control.

Another Ghoul screeched from above. “Alright, I don’t think we have much of a choice anyway,” said Estonia. “Latvia, take my hand.” They all held hands, Latvia holding the semi-conscious Winfry’s hand. “OK. One… two…three!”

A burst of blue light, cut short by the deafening trumpeting sound of the Monolith—and everyone collapsed right back onto the floor, gasping for breath. Winfry was now wide awake, checking himself frantically amidst gasps for the librem.

“Idiots,” said Delilah, emerging from the darkness of the trees. “Now I have you all.”

“Take this,” muttered Winfry, handing the librem to Estonia. And then, without warning, he dashed at Delilah in a wave of blind fury, the quilaire on his chest glowing bright.

Delilah extended her hand to magically stop him, to no effect. Winfry blasted through her magical influence and slammed her to the ground, knocking her wind out. Then, forgetting all manners and the laws of chivalry, he attacked her. Punched her. Chocked her. Tried to gouge her eyes out.

Because she killed Isa.

And now he would kill her.

Suddenly, a swarm of hundreds, thousands of Ghouls surrounded them. Winfry felt cold, lifeless hands raising him off Delilah and sucking the life out of him. “Let go!” he screamed. “LET GO!” He was being raised into the air by numerous cold, wispy hands, while below him, recuperating from the blows and smiling at his defeat, was Delilah. Bloodied, but undefeated. “You will die!” Winfry yelled. “I WILL KILL YOU!”

He heard screams. From the corner of his eyes he saw Felix collapse under the weight of dozens of Ghouls. Latvia was blown aside by a magical wave from Delilah’s hand, knocked into a tree and dropped unconscious into a pile of dead leaves. Estonia was struggling with Ghouls of her own. Struggling to keep a hold of the librem. The librem.

Winfry squirmed. Kicked. Yelled. To no avail. The cold whispy hands would not let go. They raised him higher and higher, as Delilah cackled. They were all trapped. They were all under her possession. This was defeat. This was the end.

And then, he saw Estonia desperately pull something tiny from within the librem. A pill. A pearl? A Ghoul knocked the librem from Estonia’s hands, pulled her hair back, grabbed her throat—the pearl slipped from Estonia’s grip, landing on the forest ground.

“How does it feel…” began Delilah, looking up at Winfry as he struggled to understand what was happening. “To know you will never avenge Isa’s death? To know you will die… as painfully and slowly as she did?”

Winfry felt his insides burning with hatred.

“I have you,” Delilah said, as Ghouls swarmed all around. “I have you and AssMachenstan will win.”

Then, from the corner of his eye, Winfry saw the yellow bird with the wagging tail. It hopped towards the pearl. Picked it up.

“You haven’t won yet,” Winfry growled.

In a swift movement, as soon as Estonia yelped from the pain of numerous cold Ghoul hands, the bird flew above Estonia’s mouth, dropped the pearl inside, and disappeared.

Estonia choked. Swallowed. Coughed.

The Ghouls dropped her instantly. Delilah howled in blind rage. Winfry didn’t understand what was going on, until he heard Latvia’s pitiful scream. She had seen the way her sister dropped onto the floor, like a ragdoll. She could tell she was no longer conscious.

In a moment, Winfry understood.

Estonia was dead.

He lost all strength, and his world went dark.